We all feel real inside our skin...
Posted August 21, 2010
By veritas,
with selfish hearts that hide our sin
Out of the fourteen songs on In Shallow Seas We Sail, there are only two that are not filled with teen-like angst over relationships in some form or another. Bare with me, I am going to go horribly off topic for a second. I have been out of my teens for a few years, I have never had a dating relationship go terribly wrong, and I am engaged to be married shortly. Needless to say, I find it difficult to personally relate with most of the lyrics here. Yet, in spite of not having any direct application towards my life. I still cannot stop listening to this album.
Without a doubt in my mind, this is Emery's best record musically. They take the very best aspects of every album to date and compile them into one smooth-flowing collection here. The screams most identifiable with The Weak's End are back in full force here, even introducing multiple layers of screaming for the first time on an album (something that has always been present during their live shows with three different band members screaming different lines). The polish and stylings of the album are most similar to The Question, while also maintaining the best parts of Toby and Devin's vocal work from I'm Only a Man. Perhaps the greatest feat is how seamlessly it all fits together. Songs like Cutthroat Collapse, Curbside Goodbye, The Smile, The Face gracefully tread back and forth through beautiful melodies and fits of screaming, and it all works amazingly well.
Lyrically, as well as musically, a lot of the songs tie together and compliment each other. Although the content it self is nothing terribly profound, you can sense the band's intricate craftsmanship at work here in the background with the same themes and similar phrases running through each song. Following along with the album title, themes incorporating seas, ships, sailing, floating, and drowning cross through several different songs, often with multiple references in each song. Even the smile and the face of a deceptive significant other garners repeated mentions in The Smile, The Face, Edge of the World, and The Butcher's Mouth.
Even with the focus on relationships, In Shallow Seas We Sail is not totally devoid of lyrics without significant meaning for all. A Sin to Hold Onto speaks of lust and not giving into temptation... granted, it is not as clear-cut as in The Question. Emery has never been one to shy away from questionable content in their lyrics when targetting specific subjects. I think the best examples for how to appropriately handle this was shown in previous songs such as So Cold I Could See My Breath and Don't Bore Us, Get to the Chorus. On the other hand, I think they crossed the line with their depictions in Can't Stop the Killer and Story about a Man with a Bad Heart. I don't think making your audience cringe due to lyrical content is necessary to accomplish getting a hard-lined message across. All of that to say, I feel that A Sin to Hold Onto is entirely appropriate and delivers a poignant message.
Still, the lyrical highlight of the album has to be Inside Our Skin. In many ways it serves as a literary sequel to Listening to Freddie Mercury, whose message included the statement that our sinning hearts make us equal. The message here is that in spite of our best intentions, we all hide sin under the surface and pretend to be something that we're not. Emery calls on us to be who we were meant to be through a term that is itself used throughout the Bible (Jeremiah 6:29, Zechariah 13:9, Malachi 3:2-3), which delivers a strong inspiring message.
Wisdom light my way into the dark
Your words are the melody that carries me
We can't make a change until we know who we are
What burns? The fire refining me
While not Emery's pinnacle for lyrics and message, I believe that In Shallow Seas We Sail far surpasses each of their previous records with the music here. If you liked the screams from The Weak's End and the vocal highlights of I'm Only a Man then look no further, you need to pick this album up now.
My Highlights: The Butcher's Mouth, In Shallow Seas We Sail, The Smile The Face
If God is good, then what are we?
There is no plant without a seed
When morning comes, will we believe
All that was lost can be retrieved?
You say you're good, then let me see
A faith is dead without the deed
How can we fall if we believe?
Let's be who we were meant to be View All Music And Book Reviews By veritas | View veritas's Profile
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